Simply Healthy Korean Recipes
Truthfully, I’m not much of a tofu eater. Aside from a few Korean dishes I grew up with, I wasn’t much of a fan. It’s pretty much a blah, flavorless protein, and I was equally blah, agnostic about it. But I guess it would be more accurate to say that I WASN’T much of a fan. Because I’ve been going crazy about tofu lately. More specifically, Seared Tofu with Soy-Maple Sauce.
Why not serve something unconventional for Mother’s Day? Something with significance and meaning, albeit from another culture?
Miyeok (sea vegetables or seaweed) is a food/ingredient that evokes mothers or motherhood in Korea. In Korea, most postpartum women – maybe almost all – eat miyeok guk (seaweed soup). In fact, hospitals serve miyeok guk to postpartum women to replenish nutrients that may have been depleted during childbirth; and they continue to consume the soup during lactation due to its properties that are believed to stimulate lactation. So it’s apropos that it is traditionally served on birthdays as symbolism for the first food consumed after birth. Thus, it is also a food that connects the mother and child.
Continue Reading Miyeok Juk – Korean Sea Vegetable Porridge . . .
Seriously. I can eat tofu everyday for the entire month. It’s such a versatile ingredient. There are so many possibilities that I know my palate won’t get bored. Alas. Anything taken to an excess can’t be good for you. Everything in moderation right?
BUT one more day of tofu won’t hurt, no?
I’ve been suffering from a meat and alcohol-induced walking coma since I got back from Missouri. The Missouri I experienced was sort of a meatopia with free-flowing wine. By no means am I a vegan nor do I abstain completely from imbibing. I eat meat and enjoy wine occasionally; but for the most part, I’m a vegan-leaning teetotaler. So needless to say, my body is in a bit of a shock.
So to give my body a break, I decided to make a bunch of vegan side dishes. Dubu jorim (soy-braised tofu) was on the top of my list, because my husband absolutely loves this dish. He really immersed himself in the meat-and-wine lifestyle while we were in Missouri; so he is due for a little vegan protein.
Amanda Knox is out of an Italian prison. Do you wonder what really happened? So many things seem sketchy about this whole case: the prosecutor, the evidence (or the lack thereof), the accused themselves, etc. The story reads like a lurid tabloid fodder. I feel sad for everyone involved though – the families, of course, the victim, and even the accused. The stink of being accused of murder is impossible to get off, even if you had nothing to do with, especially in the age of fast and loose internet access. Everyone has an opinion about everything. I mean, look at me! I’m writing about it!
To inject a little levity to this serious situation, I would like to share a little tidbit about a Korean custom. In Korea, tofu is given to people right out of prison. This is thought to keep them out of prison in the future. No; the tofu isn’t thought to ward off evil spirits or bad luck that may land them back in prison and help them in their life of crime. Instead, the tofu symbolizes a future of a crime-free life. More specifically, white color of the tofu symbolizes purity, innocence, and starting anew. So I decided to make some pan-seared tofu in the spirit of this symbolism. It’s a positive thing. We all need a reminder to be good at times, albeit for the smaller things in life.
Continue Reading Pan-Seared Tofu with Soy Dipping Sauce . . .